


Reaper

by animatedrose



Series: 2021 writings [10]
Category: POKEMON Detective Pikachu (2019), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, 名探偵ピカチュウ | Detective Pikachu (Video Game)
Genre: Abandonment, Adoption, Amnesia, Anxiety, Blood, Blood and Injury, Cages, Crime Reports, Crime Scenes, Death, Detective Work, Drug Use, Electrocution, Fuller is a jerk, Gen, Harry and Tim are dead, Human on human violence, Major Character Injury, Manipulation, Memory Loss, Murder, Nightmares, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Pokemon can be disgustingly descriptive, Pokemon on Pokemon violence, Pokèmon Attacking Humans, Pokémon on human violence, Poverty, R drug, Ryme City, Shelters, Stalking, Storms, Thievery, Velma is an anti-anxiety pet, Vet visit, Violence, consensual drug use, crushed dreams, disconnected bonds, don't anger dragons, failing to be a Pokemon Trainer, human on Pokemon violence, interrogations, mention of gunning down Pokemon, mute character, police work, pooping on cars, references to the game and movie events, stray Pokemon, sudden evolution, underground fighting rings, understanding Pokemon speech, unsolved crime mysteries, way in the future past the game/movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:47:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29729952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animatedrose/pseuds/animatedrose
Summary: Liam can hear what Pokemon are saying and can talk back to them. In his new home of Ryme City, where Pokemon battle and capture is outlawed in the city limits, Liam's ability serves the local police during cases. One such case leads him to cross paths with a strange Pikachu with a famous past and a crumbling memory. What starts as a plan to wipe out the last remnants of the R drug turns into a discovery of something greater that threatens all of Ryme City.People say dreams hold meaning. Liam's nightmares have far too much to tell.
Series: 2021 writings [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089221
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically just a Detective Pikachu thing, with my own twists and such. This will contain NSFW and darker themes, so be warned. I will tag as required per chapter to avoid triggering or upsetting anyone.

It was dark. That was the first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes. Nothing but darkness.

Red light suddenly came from somewhere. Where, he wasn’t sure, but the light felt good. It was good to see again.

Noise reached him. He searched around for the source but nothing seemed obvious. What was causing such a noise?

A scream tore through the darkness. More followed it, all of them echoing its pain and misery. Agony. The voices were in agony.

Figures in the distance. Pokémon, if he guessed correctly. All of them writhing and clawing and struggling as they cried out. They were in so much pain, he could almost feel it.

…Wait, he _could_ feel it!

Pain erupted from his chest. He crashed to his knees, hunching over. A ragged moan escaped him. It was like someone was squeezing his heart, trying to rip it from his chest from the inside. It hurt!

**“Your life force…”**

A voice, loud and authoritative, emerged from the gloom.

**“Give it to me… Give me your life force…”**

The pain increased. It was only then, through watery eyes, did he realize the light came from above. Something massive hovered overhead, red light emerging from its avian body. Blue eyes zeroed in on him as he struggled to keep from screaming.

**“Give me…your life force… Give it…to me…”**

“Ga-hah-ah!” he choked, clutching his chest.

The pain increased hundredfold. He could hear screams tumbling from his mouth. Something, some glowing light, was coming from his chest. Everything was becoming cold.

 _No, don’t go,_ he thought, trying to keep the light trapped in his hands. _Don’t go, I need you, please!_

The light emerged from his chest and floated upward, joining thousands of other lights that rose up toward the massive avian creature. His body went numb as he fell onto his back. He tried to reach a hand up but his limbs refused to obey him. Tears ran down his face.

_I don’t want to die. Please, give it back. Please—_

_“EEEEVEEEEE!!”_

Pain erupted from his chest as something collided with it, causing him to bolt upright, suddenly awake. He gasped, clutching his aching chest. There would no doubt be a bruise forming at the point of impact. After catching his breath, he glared at the small brown fox perched at the foot of his bed.

“You know, you could’ve found a less violent way to wake me up, Velma!” he complained.

 _“Eevee! Vee!”_ the fox chirped.

The tiny fox Pokémon then abandoned her spot, leaping to the floor to run across the room and down the hall.

He glared after her before falling back onto his pillows, yawning tiredly. The pain in his chest had dulled to a faint throb now. Once he had sufficiently woken himself, he sat up again and glanced out the window by his bed, overlooking the town below.

The boy—nearly a man but not quite—rubbed his forehead, looking down at his chest. Undoing the first few buttons, he scanned over the dark bruise forming there. A hand ran over the area, the boy frowning.

“That nightmare again… I’ve had it every night since I moved here,” he muttered. “What could it mean?”

He got up and out of bed, heading for the bathroom. Then the kitchen so he could make breakfast. The fox, an Eevee, was waiting patiently for him by a ceramic bowl covered in paw prints. He dumped in some kibble from the cabinet on his way by, much to the fox’s delight.

He had just dumped himself a bowl of cereal when his phone rang. He groaned, picking it up. “Liam here. Hello?”

“Hey, Liam, when you’re done revving up for the day, come by the shelter.”

“The…shelter? Like, the homeless shelter?” the boy, Liam, asked.

“No, the Pokémon shelter. The precinct brought in something and it’s been going ballistic since six this morning. We need you to do your trick.”

Liam groaned, rubbing his forehead. “Look, I’m no Pokémon Whisperer or whatever you’re calling it now, Clark. I just know how to deal with them. Perk of once trying to be a Pokémon trainer.”

“Well, whatever it is, we kinda need you to work your magic on this guy.”

The call ended before Liam could refuse. Typical Clark. Liam sighed before digging into his cereal, hoping to he could drag it out long enough that maybe whatever was dumped at the shelter by the police now would settle down on its own.

After all, it’d been ten years since he’d last trained or tamed anything besides his Eevee. He wasn’t exactly qualified by today’s sky-high trainer standards.

Once breakfast was done, he herded Velma into her carrier and carried her out to his car. It wasn’t anything fancy, an older model Jeep that he got from a car lot two years ago. The transmission had gone out twice and the driver’s door had a wire busted somewhere he’d yet to discern that screwed with his lighting…but the vehicle had gotten him through a lot. He trusted it.

Setting the carrier in the passenger’s seat, Liam buckled up and drove the twenty minutes to Ryme City’s local Pokémon shelter.

The shelter was small, a squat one-floor brick building with six outdoor wire kennels and a few sturdy runs in the back. It was primarily for friendlier Pokémon that could be rehomed, but it carried a strict size and weight limit. A lot of other limits too but Liam wasn’t concerning himself with those right this moment.

He could see Clark’s Mountaineer in the tiny front parking lot and the man himself waiting by the front door.

Liam parked and got out, taking Velma’s carrier with him. Though not official, she basically functioned as his anti-anxiety companion. The Eevee chirped a greeting as they approached Clark.

“About time you got here. Sounds like a few of the dumber guys got themselves shocked by it.”

“Shocked?” Liam was immediately wary. “What is this thing, anyway? I’m not ready to get fried by, like, an Eelektross or something.”

“Nah, nah, nothing that big or dangerous. Fuller probably would’ve gunned that down,” Clark said, leading them inside.

“He would,” Liam muttered darkly.

The shelter was mostly empty in the lobby. They could faintly hear the barking of canine Pokémon behind the observation doors. A receptionist typing at the desk pressed a button, letting them into the locked quarantine area when Clark showed off his badge. Liam held Velma’s carrier close.

“You might need to leave her outside,” Clark said, stopping at a door that said QUARANTINE.

“You know I can’t do that,” Liam argued.

Clark shrugged. “Don’t blame me if she catches anything. The nurse hasn’t verified yet if this guy’s carrying any sicknesses or anything.”

He opened the door, waving Liam in. Liam walked through, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rising. The air felt charged, electric. Static, probably. The scent of ozone hit his nose, confirming what Clark had said earlier.

“Yo, it’s the PokéWhisperer! Nice to meet you!” one of the two people in the room, a man sporting glasses and a generic white lab coat, greeted with an enthusiastic wave.

“Don’t call me that,” Liam requested, setting Velma’s carrier on the counter. “No Fuller today?”

“He got electrocuted, him and two others,” the other person, a young woman with red hair pulled into two curls behind her head, explained.

“Deserved it, to be honest. You don’t just poke and prod something when they frustrate you,” the man said, wagging a finger. “You’ve gotta show patience and let the expert get here.”

“I’m not an expert,” Liam protested.

 _“Veeeee…”_ Velma whimpered.

“Oh! Is that an Eevee? What a beautiful example of what our almighty Arceus can create,” the man said, smiling.

“Stuff it, Spruce,” Clark said. “Nobody wants to hear your deluded religious views. We came to see the Pokémon that Fuller caught at the scene.”

“It was at a crime scene?” Liam asked.

“Don’t ask. That’s confidential,” Clark said, waving a hand. “We just have a few questions and then we can let this thing go…or see if it can be rehomed somewhere. I heard kids like Pikachus.”

“Pikachus?”

Liam crouched to look into the rack of kennels against the wall. Now he could see it. Right in the center cage, yellow fur filthy and expression peeved, was a Pikachu. One wearing what looked like a detective’s cap. That was…weird.

“Think you can calm it down, PokéWhisperer?” Spruce asked eagerly.

“Can you leave the room when I do this, please?” Liam requested.

“I need you as translator. Better if I get the information right from the interrogation,” Clark said firmly, taking a seat by where Velma’s carrier was. “As for you two, you can leave. Neither of you need to hear this.”

“But I’ve always wanted to hear what it sounds like to communicate with Pokémon!” Spruce argued, pouting as the woman tugged him from the room.

Liam rolled his eyes as the door closed behind them. “Trust me, dude. It’s nothing amazing.”

He pulled up the other chair. Velma whined from her carrier, pawing at the mesh door. Clark shushed her lightly, watching. Liam apologized to the Eevee before settling in, watching the Pikachu circle its cage.

“Okay, buddy. Let’s start simple. Can you talk?”

 _“Can I talk? Of course I can talk. Not like you’ll ever understand,”_ the Pikachu grumbled, voice deeper than what he expected from such a cute mouse-like creature.

“Okay, good. Now should I repeat all of that back to you so you believe me? Or can we jump past the oh-my-Arceus-you-can-hear-me stage?” Liam asked.

The Pikachu paused. _“What?”_

“You heard me.”

_“…You can hear me?”_

“Loud and clear.”

The Pikachu stared for a moment. _“You can hear me. Like, actually hear me! You’re not doing the dumb what-a-cute-mousey-wousey thing to me! You’re actually talking to me!”_

“Yeah, I am. Can we not have this discussion?” Liam requested, holding up a hand. “You were picked up by police and brought here. You were at some…crime scene?”

_“A murder.”_

“A murder?” Liam looked at Clark, who shook his head. “Okay, a murder. Why were you there?”

_“I was trying to tail a guy who might know something, but I’m not sure. But when I was tailing him, I came across another guy who murdered this third guy. All while the guy I’m tailing just keeps on walking!”_

“Okay, so you were tracking someone, who walked past a murder in progress…and you stuck around?”

_“Well, yeah! I thought I could help.”_

“You thought you could help? Help who? How?”

 _“…You’re repeating everything I’m saying,”_ the Pikachu pointed out awkwardly.

Liam pointed to Clark. “Not everyone can hear you. And apparently what you say could help with this murder you saw.”

_“Wait! You guys are detectives? Me too!”_

“I’m not a detective. He is. I’m just the guy they bring in when Pokémon like you get tangled up in crimes,” Liam corrected. “So please answer the questions.”

 _“Okay, okay. I can do this. I can totally be helpful.”_ The Pikachu breathed, as if trying to stave off a hyperventilation episode. _“Okay, so the first guy—let’s call him Person A—Person A is moving along Birchwood Drive. I’m tailing him.”_

“Yeah, why are you tailing him? Person A, that is.”

_“Personal reasons. I think. Anyway, I’m tailing Person A down Birchwood Drive when we come across the murder. Person B is bludgeoning Person C with an aluminum baseball bat while about six Gastly are watching. Not sure if it’s a possession case or what the motives are, but Person A keeps on walking. Now, I can’t just stand by and watch this all go down, so I jump in and—”_

“So Person B, the murderer, is bludgeoning Person C, the victim, with an aluminum baseball bat along Birchwood Drive. There are six Gastly watching. You don’t know if possession is involved or what the motive could be,” Liam repeated. “But…you jump in?”

_“Of course I jump in. So I jump in, ready to roast these Gastly and Person B straight to hell, but…”_

“But…?”

 _“Uh… This is embarrassing to admit.”_ The Pikachu looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. _“I, uh…couldn’t make the electricity come.”_

“You mean, you couldn’t electrocute them?” Liam looked baffled. “You shocked Fuller and two of his guys here earlier.”

 _“That’s different! They yanked my tail and were poking at my cheeks. That was instinctive!”_ the Pikachu argued. _“I can’t…willingly shock somebody if I want to. It just…doesn’t happen!”_

“Okay, so you jumped in to try and help, but you couldn’t produce the electricity needed to electrocute anyone at the scene.”

_“Yep! The Gastlys laughed, Person B laughed, Person C probably would’ve laughed if he wasn’t bleeding to death on the pavement from a busted skull.”_

“They all laughed at you, except the victim and whoever you were tailing. What happened to him, anyway?”

_“No clue. Lost track of him during all of this. That’s why I have to get out of here. I’ve gotta find him and fast.”_

“Why do you have to find Person A? Are they someone you know?”

 _“I…don’t know,”_ the Pikachu admitted sheepishly. _“Look, this is going into a lot of stuff that doesn’t concern you!”_

“Yeah, you’re right. Forget Person A. What did Person B do when they and the Gastlys saw you?” Liam asked, glad for the reminder to stay on topic.

_“They laughed. Then Person B went back to bludgeoning what was left of Person C while the Gastlys came after me. You know, I never thought they looked all that scary until there were six of them in my face.”_

“So Person B finished off Person C and the Gastlys attacked you.”

 _“Well, paralyzed me. Lick. Eugh!”_ The Pikachu shuddered. _“Never had such a traumatic tongue bath in my life until that moment. I’m never licking my fur again.”_

“Pity, you kind of look like you need a bath.”

 _“Well, I fell into a puddle. Completely paralyzed. You’d be filthy too,”_ the Pikachu grumbled, arms crossed over his chest.

“So you got paralyzed by the Gastlys using Lick multiple times. What then?”

_“I was stuck there. Person B eventually got bored, dumped the bat into the dumpster, and wandered off. The Gastlys followed him. Cue me being found, I think, a few hours later when the local police found Person C’s corpse.”_

“So you were paralyzed there for the rest of the time. Person B and the Gastlys left you with Person C’s corpse. You saw nobody else? Heard nothing else?”

_“Absolutely nothing.”_

“Can we get a description of Person B? Anything you remember could help.”

 _“Person B was a younger guy, maybe nineteen, maybe your age actually,”_ the Pikachu said, tapping his chin. _“Black shirt with a Haunter printed on it. Black baseball cap worn backwards. Baggy pants with lots of silver chains on it. Red underwear. Yes, I could see it. He was one of those kids. I will never understand that trend. Why show your underwear in public? Is it a fetish?”_

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Liam said, shaking his head. Mildly disgusted. “Younger guy, possibly between nineteen to twenty-one, black shirt with a Haunter on it, black baseball cap worn backwards, baggy pants with lots of chains on it, and red underwear visible above waistline.”

Clark looked baffled and equally disgusted by that last bit.

“Anything else?”

_“High top black and white shoes, both unlaced. He stunk of that cheap cologne that the ads say will make the women flock to you but actually just smells like glorified shit. Like Arceus took a dump and somebody, like, squeezed the fragrance out into a bottle and branded it as cologne.”_

“Okay, you’re getting too into this conversation about shitty cologne,” Liam said quickly. “Black and white high top shoes, unlaced. Smells like cheap cologne. Anything specific? Facial features, scars, maybe a name?”

_“He looked like he had a broken nose. It was crooked. Like somebody nailed him a couple dozen times on a—”_

“Bandage over it or no?”

_“Nope. Just a crooked nose.”_

“Crooked nose, no bandage. Nothing else?”

 _“Nothing that I could see from my angle in the puddle,”_ the Pikachu replied.

“Any other questions, Clark? I think I got everything,” Liam said.

“He’s aware that, due to attacking two polices officers and the police chief, he’ll need to be relocated outside of the city if he doesn’t clean up his act, right?” Clark asked.

 _“Relocated? Wait, I can’t leave Ryme City! I have to find that guy!”_ the Pikachu protested, shaking the kennel bars. _“Kid, please! I can’t lose this guy. I’m already running out of time. I might’ve lost him already. He might know stuff about me!”_

“Know stuff about you?” Liam looked confused.

 _“Look, it involves a whole shitstorm of stuff that I don’t get either, but I have to find that guy. He might be able to help me. Please!”_ the Pikachu begged. _“I’ll be good, I promise. You can’t send me out of Ryme City! You can’t!”_

Liam sighed, leaning back in his chair. “He says he’ll be good. He doesn’t want to leave. He has stuff to do here. He’s also sorry for attacking Fuller and his guys. They were provoking him. It was an instinctive discharge, not a malicious attack.”

“We both know Fuller won’t accept that…but he’s got bigger Magikarp to fry,” Clark said, standing up. “I’ll send my report to Fuller. Nurse Joy will want to look that guy over and, if he’s good, we can drop him back off where we found him.”

 _“Thank you! Thank you so much!”_ the Pikachu said, slumping against the bars. _“Thank you…”_

“Are we done? Can I go home?” Liam asked, standing up.

“Yeah, you can head out. Thanks for this, by the way,” Clark said, jerking a thumb at the Pikachu.

“Whatever. Next time, maybe tell Fuller not to poke at things if he doesn’t want to get hurt,” Liam suggested, picking up Velma’s carrier.

“…Hey, curious question,” Clark said.

“Yeah?”

“You can hear what Pokémon are saying. I’ve never heard you talk to Velma. Why is that?” Clark asked, eyeing the Eevee’s carrier.

“That’s easy. Velma doesn’t talk,” Liam replied, opening the door.

Spruce and the woman, Nurse Joy, were waiting outside. Clark waved her in so she could do a health check-up on the Pikachu. Spruce was too happy to join the two men as they left the quarantine area behind.

“So, how did you do it? Do you talk in his tongue? Or does he speak in yours but only you can hear it?”

“He talks, I talk, things get done,” Liam replied, heading for his car. “I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t ask about it.”

“Why not? That’s an incredible ability! To speak to Pokémon, the creatures who serve as our companions and friends, as well as our opposition and even our natural enemies!” Spruce hugged himself, too enthralled at the idea. “I can name dozens of people who would love to know what the creatures around them are saying!”

“Well, they can have this power if they want it. I’d give it away if I could,” Liam stated.

“What? Why?” Spruce asked, confused.

“Because it gets annoying. There are so many talking at once, it makes my ears bleed. Most are the same conversations over and over too. It’s no different than sitting in a crowd of people, only you’re at home while all these conversations are happening. And nobody has a filter because they don’t care,” Liam replied. “Honestly, that Pikachu back there was doing it too. They get too fascinated in the strangest things and so disgustingly descriptive with sensory stuff.”

“Spruce, it might be funny to you, but take it from me. Watching Liam deal with all this, it’s easy to see that this talking-to-Pokémon thing isn’t as cool in reality as it is in theory,” Clark said.

“I don’t understand. To speak to Pokémon is like being given the ability to speak to gods. You are communicating perfectly with Arceus’ creations!” Spruce said, lost.

“Aren’t they technically Mew’s creations and only Arceus’ by, like, grandparent relation?” Clark asked.

“That’s only one theory and that’s primarily to explain the presence of Mew’s ability to use Transform, which usually is only present in Dittos, which is an entirely different—”

“Yeah, have fun with the rant, Clark.”

Liam got in his car, closing the door in order to deafen Spruce’s rant. He ignored Clark’s panicked expression as Spruce stepped nearer to him, clearly in full scientific and/or religious rant mode. Liam couldn’t tell which and, frankly, he didn’t care either. He backed out of the tiny parking lot and headed to the local grocery supermarket.

_“Veeeeee!”_

“Yeah, I know, Velma. That wasn’t very fun, huh?” Liam sighed.

_“Veeee…”_

Liam shopped quickly. He wasn’t much a fan of being out in public. Too many people looked at him. And the whispers, Arceus, he hated the whispers! He was glad to check out and run back to his car, dumping his purchases in the back seat. Then he headed home, eager to be back in the safety of his space.

His space really wasn’t much. It was an apartment on the fourth floor of a six-floor brick apartment complex near the center of Ryme City. He had purchased a pass that let him park his car in one of the rented garages that the complex owned next door. His apartment had a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, a living space, a closet, and a small side room that he used as a storage space. He had a nice view of the city but it also made his apartment unbearably hot in summer and cold in winter due to the window placement.

Thankfully, it was mid-autumn. Just between the two extremes. It was a comfy temperature, much like spring but with less green. Liam rather liked the fall colors better. The crunch of fallen leaves was nostalgic too. It reminded him of being a kid, ten years old and ready to take on the world…

Liam unloaded his car and carried his groceries, as well as Velma, inside. He had a text from Clark telling him that the Pikachu was deemed healthy and had been released back on Birchwood Drive. Liam hoped the mouse managed to find who he was looking for there.

The rest of his evening passed in relative peace. He was forwarded a digital check for his help with the Pikachu, not much but it’d cover his bills next month, if the money survived that long. He cooked dinner, cutting off test trimmings from the rib eye steak for Velma to eat with her Pecha Berry blend kibble.

The Eevee was rather spoiled. She always had been, honestly. Liam couldn’t help but wonder some days what she might have been like had she become a fully fledged trainer Pokémon.

Then he’d shake his head. That was a pipe dream. His trainer days had ended only a few months after they began, thanks to his stupid ability. Too much expectation had fallen on him, too many people saw too much in him that he just didn’t have, and the moment that someone expected him to prove himself…he had crashed and burned instead.

Things were better this way. He’d never last as a trainer in today’s world. Back then had been hard enough, during his short run.

He had barely noticed the rain until Velma began yipping at the window.

“It’s sure pouring out,” Liam muttered, pulling back the curtain. “I hope that Pikachu is okay.”

Lightning tore across the sky deeper into the city. Liam withdrew from the window, finishing his cooking. The lights flickered briefly. He wondered if the landlord was hooking his Electivire up in case of a power outage.

He had just started setting the table when Velma started yipping again, this time more frantically. She had her paws on the window and scratched, yipping. Lightning lit up the streets outside. Liam pushed the curtain aside further to see.

He barely saw the yellow fur in the gutter across the street.


	2. Chapter 2

Liam didn’t know why he started running. He didn’t even grab his coat. He tore out of his apartment, taking the stairs two-by-two. The wind whipped, rain stabbing at him like needles as he ran out of the building. Thankfully, there were no cars in the road. He darted across, arms outstretched to scoop up the creature.

It was the Pikachu, brown cap crumpled in his paws. Red patches decorated his fur. Liam didn’t need to smell it to know that it was blood.

Holding the mouse close, he ran back across the street and inside. He just sat there in the stairwell exit, rain dripping from his hair and clothes. Relief hit him when he heard the broken wheezing of the Pikachu. The mouse was still alive, but he was definitely in a lot of pain.

Liam took the stairs carefully, slowly. Trying not to jostle the injured Pokémon in his arms. The Pikachu mumbled but most of it made no sense. Liam tried not to focus on it. He focused on getting to his apartment.

Once there, he spread two thick towels on the couch and set the Pikachu there. The scent of something burning made him bolt back to the kitchen to shut off the burner on his oven. One side of the steak was blackened with burn. He set it on a plate to cool, making a note to cut away the charred bits for the local strays.

Velma was perched on the couch, whimpering. The Pikachu was barely moving now. Jagged claw marks decorated his tiny yellow body. The deepest crossed his spine diagonally.

Liam bit his lip. He wasn’t a doctor or a vet. He couldn’t do much except wrap the wounds up. He fetched a first aid kit, pulling out bandages and gauze pads. He carefully wrapped the lightning mouse up.

“What happened to you?” he muttered, frowning. “Gastly couldn’t do this. Maybe a Haunter or a Gengar, but not Gastly…”

Once the Pikachu was wrapped up, Liam lifted him into his arms. Velma bounded into her carrier, yipping. Liam locked and lifted that too, awkwardly leaving his apartment with both arms full. Once in his Jeep, he put in an emergency call to the local Pokémon Center. Then he drove.

The place wasn’t far. There was only one Pokémon Center in all of Ryme City but it was big enough to stand out, red roof and all. The storm raged, rain striking his windshield and the harsh winds threatening to pull his car off the road. Liam was grateful to reach the Pokémon Center safely, parking and getting out with both Pokémon in tow.

He checked in and patiently waited until his vet called him back. She was a pretty thing, tall with long dark hair and green eyes. Her name was Jade. Her gaze widened when he entered her station.

“What happened to it?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Velma saw him in the street outside of my apartment building,” Liam explained, setting the Pikachu on the operating table gently. “Maybe he got in a fight?”

“If he did, he clearly didn’t win…or they both lost and he just managed to crawl away,” Jade said, pulling out a stethoscope. “He’s still breathing. Good work on the bandages but I’ll have to remove them. He’s bleeding through in spots. Have you ever met this Pikachu before, Liam?”

Liam hesitated before answering. “Yeah. He was brought to the local shelter this morning by Fuller. He was a witness to a murder case.”

“Perhaps he was attacked because of what he saw,” Jade suggested.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Liam shrugged. “Hopefully he can tell us.”

“You mean you,” Jade corrected.

“Yeah, me. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’ve gotten me out of some tough spots with that trick of yours,” Jade said, smiling. She clipped away the soiled wrappings. “I’ll take care of him and call you when he’s up.”

“Thanks, Jade,” Liam said, giving a faint smile. “I, uh, have dinner waiting at home. Kinda burnt.”

“I’m sure the Growlithe will love you.”

“Among other strays,” Liam muttered. “See you…whenever he’s up.”

“Get home safe. This storm is supposed to get much worse,” Jade warned.

Liam held tight to Velma’s carrier as they exited the Pokémon Center. Jade hadn’t been kidding. The winds were whipping harder and the rain felt like needles stabbing into him. He held up an arm to shield his face as he staggered to his Jeep.

“Who the hell pissed off Lugia?” he muttered, starting his Jeep.

The drive back was even more treacherous than the drive there. Thankfully the road was empty. Liam was glad to get home and into his apartment, pulling the shutters down over the windows to shield Velma from the blinding lightning.

“Maybe someone pissed off Zapdos instead,” Liam decided. “Or Zekrom. I don’t know.”

Dinner was quiet, the burnt parts cut away and saved in a plastic container for the local strays come morning. Velma ate her kibble and huddled in his lap until bedtime rolled around.

Liam tried really hard not to think about the Pikachu.

.o.o.o.o.

**“Your life force…”**

The nightmare again. Liam had tried over and over to change it, to take control. To make it more of a lucid dream rather than a nightmare.

It never worked.

**“Give it to me… Your life force…”**

His chest burned, feeling like it was being crushed. Lights all around him rose into the sky, toward the weird black and red bird. Blazing blue eyes watched him, picking him out of the mass of writhing bodies.

**“Give me your life force…”**

Liam tried to talk, to fight back. He couldn’t understand why. What was that thing? Was it doing this? Why?

**“Give me yo—”**

_“EEVEEEEE!!”_

Liam jolted, coughing. Snapping awake under Velma’s tiny body, the Eevee having pounced on his stomach from above. He groaned, rubbing the spot where her paws had struck.

 _“Eevee!”_ Velma yipped, looking up from his lap.

“I’m up, I’m up.” Liam patted her. “Thanks, girl. Got me out of a bad dream again.”

 _“Eevee!”_ Velma tilted her head happily, ears flopping cutely to the side.

Liam got out of bed, heading to the kitchen. He poured himself another bowl of cereal. His phone rang just as he took his first bite. He groaned, chewing fast before picking up.

“Liam here. Hello?”

“It’s me, Jade. The Pikachu’s up and boy, is he not a happy camper. The other vets won’t even touch him. Where did you pick this guy up again?”

“Fuller picked him up from Birchwood Drive. I later found him across the road from my apartment during the storm. Why?” Liam asked.

“Because I did a check on him and this guy has a microchip. He’s been in here before.”

Liam bolted up in his chair. “He belongs to someone? Who?”

“He belongs to one Mr. Tim Goodman. And before that, his father Harry Goodman.”

“Have you called them?”

Jade didn’t respond for a while.

“What?” Liam asked, suddenly nervous. “What’s wrong?”

“Harry Goodman has been dead for nearly ten years,” Jade explained. “And Tim Goodman was shot during a case almost a year ago. Both were Ryme City detectives.”

“…That Pikachu said he was a detective,” Liam recalled.

“Anyway, I brought that up because one of my coworkers recognized him. She was the one who chipped him way back then, before Harry died,” Jade continued.

“I guess the shelter never bothered looking for a chip,” Liam muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“They wouldn’t have the money or tech to detect it anyway. We barely do,” Jade said. “Since he is chipped, he’s technically not considered wild. If we find a chipped Pokémon, it has to be rehomed. They’re usually too tame for the wilderness.”

“He’s sure survived a while. Almost a year, according to you,” Liam pointed out. “If he was working with a Ryme City detective, I wonder why Fuller or Clark didn’t recognize him.”

“Well, he’s sure filthy. Or maybe they never interacted much with either of the Goodman men, so they’d have never met their Pikachu,” Jade suggested. “Either way…I have to ask you what you plan to do with him.”

“Do with him? Nothing. I brought him to you so he would get better.”

“So you don’t want him back?”

“He’s not mine,” Liam said. “And I have Velma. I can’t just randomly take in a Pikachu off the street, even if they have extensive history with the Ryme City detective agency. That’s a better reason not to, personally. I hate getting involved with those guys.”

“So you waive your right to adopt him here and now?” Jade asked.

“I have no interest in adopting him. Send him to the shelter. Apparently kids like Pikachus,” Liam said, rubbing his eyes.

“Noting that down now,” Jade said, keys tapping on her end of the line. “Is Velma doing okay in the little apartment with you?”

“She’s fine,” Liam said. “Better than fine, even. I think she likes the smaller space. The house was…too much. For both of us.”

Jade hummed. “That’s good to hear. I miss when you lived closer.”

“Well, rent here is easier on me. And there’s not much good-paying work to be found out on the city limits that doesn’t involve farming or fishing. It sucks to be the police’s little translator…but they pay really good.”

“I’m sure you could find better jobs that can use your trick,” Jade encouraged.

“If there are, I haven’t found them yet,” Liam said. “Sorry to burden you with that Pikachu. He seems pretty good once he’s calm. Hopefully he finds a nice home.”

“Hopefully,” Jade agreed. “See you around?”

“Yeah,” Liam said, taking another bite of cereal. “Bye, Jade.”

“Bye, Liam.”

He set his phone down once the call ended, finishing his breakfast. Picking up the plastic container full of burnt meat scraps, he headed downstairs to the ground floor. Velma stayed in the apartment, where she would be safe. Liam didn’t trust the strays to not have a go at her.

Ryme City had an insane population of wild Pokémon living in it. It became such a trademark for the city that the catching and battling of Pokémon within city limits was entirely outlawed. Exceptions were made at times, of course. There were always Snorlax napping on the highway that needed to be removed and, short of heavy duty forklifts and cranes, battle and capture tended to be the only way to be rid of them. Such instances were performed by highly-paid professional Pokémon trainers.

Liam headed into the alley beside his apartment complex. Stray canines and felines weren’t uncommon in the alleys. He crouched low to the ground, popping open the container. The scent of charred meat quickly caught attention.

From an overturned trashcan came a skinny Houndour. Three fluffy Growlithe followed. With them was a scruffy-looking Yamper. They whimpered and whined, almost drooling as Liam divided the meat into five distinct piles.

When he backed away, they dove and became a snarling mess of teeth and snapping jaws. Liam quickly walked away, in case they turned their competitive hunger on him. It was already unwise to feed them at all…but he had a soft spot for these guys, who’d lived in this alley longer than he’d lived in his apartment.

He barely reached the door when a loud screech erupted from above. A huge black and purple shape landed on the street with a heavy thud. A Noivern, a very angry one. They roared, huge wings flaring at a nearby truck. The guy who was about to climb in it screamed, darting around his vehicle, as if believing it would protect him.

 _“Get back here! You wanted a fight! You have one!”_ the Noivern bellowed.

“Arceus fuck, help! Somebody call the police!” the guy shouted.

Liam found himself leaping into action, circling in front of the Noivern so they could not advance on the vehicle. He held his hands up. “Whoa! Whoa! Easy, buddy. Easy.”

 _“Get out of my way before I roast you, boy,”_ the Noivern snarled.

“Roasting me will look really bad on you. Do you want Fuller to gun you down? Because I’m sure he’d love to. That guy’s gunned down plenty of Pokémon over the years,” Liam said. “Just stop and breathe. Tell me what happened.”

The Noivern hesitated. _“You’re that boy, aren’t you? The one who can talk back.”_

“Yeah, that’s me. Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help.” Liam looked over his shoulder. “And sir, please don’t call the cops yet. Let me deescalate this. They’re just going to call me anyway.”

“Are you kidding? It’s a fucking dragon!” the guy shouted, phone in his hands.

“Just…let me try. Please,” Liam requested.

He didn’t relax until the phone was down.

“Okay. Noivern, tell me what happened.”

 _“What happened is that that little punk threw a rock at my nest!”_ the Noivern growled. _“I said sorry for accidentally defecating on his car. I even dumped water on it to try cleaning up.”_

“Sir, did this guy poop on your car?” Liam asked.

“Yeah, just a few minutes ago. Then he dumped a fucking waterfall on it!” the guy confirmed.

“He says he was trying to clean up. He didn’t mean to poop on your car,” Liam said. “But you threw a rock at him?”

“…Yeah,” the man confirmed. “Damn thing should keep his poop in his nest.”

 _“Do you shit in your bed, punk?”_ Noivern growled, advancing a step. _“You nearly hit my kids!”_

“Easy, easy. Back up a bit,” Liam advised, waving his hands gently. “He says you almost hit his kids.”

“There are more of them? Fucking hell,” the guy said, shaking his head. “They shouldn’t even be on the roof. Don’t those things live in caves?”

“Not always,” Liam said. “Look, we don’t want this to escalate to violence. The Noivern didn’t mean to damage your car. Just apologize for throwing the rock and this can all end.”

 _“Hardly,”_ the Noivern grumbled. _“Now I’ll intentionally shit on his car.”_

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Liam warned. He looked over his shoulder at the guy. “You going to apologize?”

The man glared. “Fine. I’m sorry for throwing a rock.” There was a sarcastic tone to it, thankfully one the Noivern didn’t pick up on.

The man slammed his car door, tearing out of the parking lot. With it now gone, Liam could see the puddles from the water, as well as fecal matter from the Noivern’s accident. He made a note to let the landlord know so it could be hosed away.

The Noivern snorted. _“Why don’t you live in caves? Pah. You humans, thinking you own everything. Your city wouldn’t exist without us.”_

“I know that,” Liam said. “For real, though. Don’t poop on cars. I really don’t want to have to watch Fuller gun you down.”

 _“Let him try. That fat man couldn’t kill me at my slowest.”_ The Noivern made a croaking noise that Liam guessed was laughter.

“Let’s not test that. Are your kids okay?” Liam asked.

 _“They’re fine. A bit shook up but they’ll live,”_ the Noivern replied, looking up at the roof. Chunks of wood and branches and even a shredded flag could be seen over the near corner. _“Not the first time that humans have assaulted my nest. Not the last either, I suspect.”_

“I’m sorry about that,” Liam said, frowning.

The Noivern tilted his head, confused. _“Why are you sorry? You didn’t throw the rock.”_

“But I wasn’t here to stop the rock from being thrown either.”

The Noivern chuckled, huge wings flaring in preparation for flight. _“You’re a funny human. Those are rare.”_

“…Thanks?”

Liam turned away to shield himself from the dust and debris as the Noivern took off, flying back to the roof. He could faintly hear the happy chirps of the Noibat hatchlings.

He headed back into the building, unaware of the floating ball of gas watching him from across the street.

.o.o.o.o.

The day passed mostly uneventfully. Jade called a few hours after the Noivern incident to inform him that the Pikachu had been taken back to the shelter. Though she prodded him again about adoption, Liam kindly turned her down. There were no calls from Fuller or the police, or anyone else in Ryme City.

Liam mostly lazed around his apartment, doing chores and personal writing projects. He had wanted to be an author once, back when he was a teenager. It never panned out. He never managed to finish anything. He always got stuck at the middle.

Curiosity finally drove him to his laptop. Not to write but to verify facts. He typed into his search bar.

**“Ryme City Detective Goodman”**

Dozens of results popped up. Liam started to recognize the names. The R drug, the Pokémon Comprehensive Laboratory, the Clifford family, Mewtwo! He remembered hearing about those incidents. Pokémon going crazy within Ryme City, all because of a rich guy’s desperation for history-making fame and control.

“Then that Pikachu is the same one,” Liam muttered, looking at the photograph of Tim Goodman and his Pikachu. The mouse was even wearing the same hat. “That means this Pikachu has been in Ryme City for…decades.”

He had no clue how long Pikachu tended to live, but that struck him as rather odd. This Pikachu was at least twenty years old, if not older. No wonder he tended to be so ornery and mouthy. This guy was older than anyone that might be looking to adopt him.

 _If_ anyone adopted him.

Liam tried not to think about it, but it was hard not to. What if the Pikachu was never adopted? What if he got stuck there in the shelter until his time was up? What if he got so ornery that they decided to put him down? He’d already electrocuted Fuller and a few others. What if he hurt someone else?

 _He’s not your problem,_ Liam told himself.

 _“Vee,”_ Velma yipped, resting a paw on Liam’s socked foot.

Liam stared down at her. “What?”

_“Vee!”_

“ _Vee_ what?” Liam asked, frustrated. “I can’t do anything for him! What would I do with a Pikachu? He has things to do that don’t involve me and so do I.”

Velma almost seemed to pout. _“Vee!”_

Liam glared at her. Then he closed his laptop and got up, fetching Velma’s carrier.

“Come on, you. If we’re doing this, you’re coming with me.”


	3. Chapter 3

The receptionist looked up at Liam as he set the money on the counter. “I’m here to pick up the Pikachu that was dropped off here this afternoon by Dr. Jade Lindquist.”

“We usually have new Pokémon in quarantine for—”

“Up to two weeks. I know. I was in quarantine with him when he was here before,” Liam explained. “I’m, uh… I’m the police’s Pokémon Whisperer.”

It was always awkward to admit to that. He looked away as the receptionist’s eyes lit up in joy. He really hated that title but Ryme City knew him best by it.

“Oh, it’s you! I’m such a big fan!” she gushed. Then she looked nervous. “That Pikachu, I have to warn you, he seems rather…aggressive.”

“Let me guess, he shocked someone already. I know,” Liam said. “I can handle him. It’s all part of my job.”

The receptionist slunk out from behind her desk, pressing a button. Her hands were wringing with nervous energy as she led him into the quarantine area.

The Pikachu was the only one in the cages, looking worse for wear than before. Gauze and bandages were taped around his chest and back. One ear seemed limper than the other. Sparks jumped from his cheeks. He looked so tired, perhaps still bouncing back from whatever sedatives Jade had given him.

“Hey, buddy,” Liam said gently, setting Velma’s carrier on the chair. “It’s me again.”

 _“I didn’t do anything wrong this time. Why am I in prison again?”_ the Pikachu demanded. _“Look, kid, I don’t have time to be in here. Some real bad stuff is going on downtown. You have to get me out! Please!”_

“I will, but you have to play by my rules,” Liam said. “You’re chipped. You know, like a microchip. My friend, who patched you up, said you used to belong to the Goodman family.”

_“Look, I don’t have time to talk about the past!”_

“You don’t have to. Because you’re chipped, you’re not considered wild. You can’t wander loose in the city. You have to be rehomed. Adopted. That’s why I’m here. I’m adopting you.”

_“Adopting me? I don’t need to be adopted! I have work to do!”_

“You won’t get to any of that if you don’t have a home. Work with me here, okay?” Liam requested, setting fingers on the cage’s lock. “Hear me out. I want this to work for both of us. I don’t want any trouble and I doubt you do either.”

The Pikachu stared, gaze hard. There was distrust there, even a bit of fear.

“Okay?” Liam prompted again.

 _“…Okay,”_ the Pikachu said.

Liam unlocked the cage. The Pikachu slowly slunk toward the door. Though sparks jumped from his red cheeks, the electric mouse didn’t shock Liam as he picked him up. The receptionist made a cute “awww” noise at the sight, which both firmly ignored.

“We’ll talk more in the car, okay?” Liam said, turning to pick up Velma’s carrier. He looked at the receptionist. “If any issues are brought up, give me a call. I’ll do whatever is needed to keep custody of this guy.”

The receptionist promised to do so, quickly scurrying out of their way.

The walk back to the car was uneventful. Velma yipped slightly as her carrier was buckled into the back seat. The Pikachu sat still as he was buckled into the passenger’s seat. Then Liam pulled out of the parking lot, leaving the shelter behind them.

 _“Microchip,”_ the Pikachu muttered. _“That must’ve been why I was at the vet back then with Harry. Sneaky guy. I never suspected a chip.”_

Liam bit his tongue. He was tempted to ask about Harry and Tim. About why the Pikachu was alone for the past year. How he survived. What events brought him to today.

He was silent as they reached his apartment. He unbuckled the Pikachu and Velma, carrying the latter as he crossed the parking lot. A short bellow from the Noivern made him pause to check the roof, but the bat-like dragon was simply stretching.

 _“You have a Noivern on your roof?”_ the Pikachu asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” Liam said, nodding. “He’s pretty cool.”

 _“I hear they poop on cars,”_ the Pikachu commented, staying at Liam’s heels.

“He’s only done that once,” Liam replied.

Well, once that he knew of. He had no idea if the landlord had been hosing away any past messes before Liam had seen them.

 _“You live on an upper floor?”_ the Pikachu asked. _“Upper floors are a lot safer than lower floors. Less chance of robbery, unless it’s by Aipom. You’re never safe from Aipoms. Stupid things, Aipoms…”_

Liam unlocked the door to the apartment building and led them upstairs. Partway up the second flight, Liam ended up picking up the Pikachu as a mercy. The steps were probably hurting his injuries. Once they were inside of his apartment, he set both down and released Velma from her carrier.

 _“Vee vee! Eevee vee!”_ she yipped, bouncing around the Pikachu.

 _“Uh, question. Why isn’t she talking? I’m just hearing ‘vee eevee vee’ from her,”_ the Pikachu asked awkwardly.

“She’s always been like that,” Liam said, taking a seat at the kitchen table. “I can understand every Pokémon except for her.”

The Pikachu climbed onto the other kitchen chair, and then pulled himself up onto the table. Velma followed, eager to sniff and greet her new housemate. The Pikachu watched her curiously.

_“Interesting.”_

“Okay, I’m sure you have a lot of questions. So do I. Let’s get it all out on the table. Then we can see how we can help each other,” Liam said, cheek against his hand, elbow on the table.

 _“Works for me.”_ The Pikachu sat on the tabletop, subtly trying to push Velma away. She would not be moved. _“Okay, so you already know how I ended up at the shelter the first time—trailing that guy down Birchwood Drive. That guy is named Edward Nubie and he used to work for the Clifford family duri—”_

“The Mewtwo incident,” Liam guessed. “I looked up all of this when I found out that you were chipped. You had some famous owners.”

The Pikachu fidgeted. _“Yeah.”_ He hesitated briefly before shaking himself. _“Anyway! For the past year after…Tim…I decided that I had to get to the bottom of things. You might not know it but the whole R thing, that never ended. That stuff is still floating around in the underground.”_

“I haven’t heard of Pokémon going berserk in Ryme since the Cliffords were arrested,” Liam argued. “Surely someone would’ve noticed something like that occurring again.”

 _“Not if it’s kept in the illegal fight rings,”_ the Pikachu pointed out, wagging a finger. _“I thought at first Nubie might be involved, but I think he might be on my side. Not that I’ve been able to isolate him to find out. The guy’s too fast, too paranoid, and, uh…human. I can’t talk to him.”_

“You never went to the police to get help,” Liam noted.

 _“Again, I’m a Pokémon. Since Tim, nobody has been able to understand me,”_ the Pikachu said, getting up to pace. Velma watched. _“Buuuuuut then you came in! You can help me talk to Nubie!”_

“Hold on,” Liam said, hands up. “I’m not a detective or part of the police force. I’m just the guy who can talk to Pokémon.”

 _“And that’s all you need to be! I just need you to translate my words to him. It’ll be easy! Tim and I did it all the time!”_ the Pikachu declared, suddenly excited. _“Granted, we’ll have to look out for that kid and the guy with the Zangoose but—”_

“Zangoose? Wait! Is that what attacked you?” Liam asked, suddenly wary.

 _“Oh yeah! Better let you in on that,”_ the Pikachu admitted. _“So after you guys let me go, I went looking for Nubie. Found him cornered behind the GNN radio station just before the storm hit. There was the kid from before with all the Gastly and this big guy with a Zangoose! I didn’t hear much before the Zangoose sniffed me out, but Nubie managed to escape from those two.”_

“But you didn’t fare too well,” Liam said, eyes on the bandages.

The Pikachu shrank slightly, paws at his chest. _“Uuuuhhh… Yeah. Fun fact—Zangoose claws are not just for show. And combined with Gastly’s Lick, they’re even worse. But playing dead seemed to work. They left after I stopped fighting back.”_

“How did you get to my apartment?” Liam asked.

 _“What? Kid, I dragged myself as far away as I could get from there. I wasn’t going anywhere specific. I think.”_ The Pikachu paused, thinking it over. _“Yeah, nowhere specific. The Pokémon Center and the precinct were too far off. Maybe I was going for a highway?”_

“You were right there,” Liam said, getting up. The Pikachu hopped from table to counter to windowsill, watching where the boy pointed. “Right there in the gutter. If the lightning hadn’t flashed, I never would’ve seen you.”

 _“Hmmm. That’s convenient.”_ The Pikachu tapped his chin. _“I did black out for a while there. I don’t remember falling in a gutter. But I was kind of bleeding out.”_

“Would someone have brought you there?”

 _“Why here specifically? They’d have had to know that we met and that you’d help me. That’s a bit of a stretch,”_ the Pikachu argued. _“Not impossible but a pretty big stretch.”_

Liam shrugged, leaning on the counter. “So the R drug is still around, Nubie might be involved, and there are at least two guys out to get him. And you’re trying to talk to Nubie about it.”

 _“Pretty much,”_ the Pikachu confirmed. _“So, will you help me? The R drug is why Harry and Tim went down. The least I can do is wipe that stuff off the streets for keeps.”_

“And what if you can’t?”

_“Then I’ll at least have tried. Maybe I’ll have inspired someone else to try once I’m gone, like Harry and Tim did.”_

Liam sighed. “Um, sorry if this is painful but…what happened to them?”

The Pikachu took off his hat, brushing it off. _“Harry was killed about ten years ago in a case that, back then, we didn’t know was the start of the R drug case. It was ruled accidental, a car crash during an investigation. I was the only survivor. Tim and I worked together not long after to find out what happened and eventually stumbled on the whole R thing. We thought we shut it down…and then last year, out of nowhere, Tim was shot on a routine missing person’s case. The shooter was never found. I was left alone, again. I know it was all related, I know it is!”_

“You said the guy you were tailing, Nubie, might know things about you.”

The Pikachu sighed. _“After Harry died, I got a bad case of amnesia. It was mostly remedied after Tim and I put the Cliffords in jail, but lately I’m noticing that pieces are going missing. Like the amnesia’s coming back, or there was more to it than I realized back then.”_

“And you think Nubie can fix it?”

_“I don’t know, but I know he’s important. I can just feel it. I’d seen him before somewhere, I just don’t know where. If I can just talk to him, ask him a few things, find out about those guys! Maybe I’ll finally start getting answers again.”_

“And you think all of this is related to the R drug?”

 _“Kid, I’ll bet every cup of coffee in the city that it is,”_ the Pikachu said. _“Will you help me? Please?”_

Liam looked away, nervous. “We won’t have a warrant or anything. He wouldn’t have to talk to us. And what if he refuses?”

 _“I’ll figure it out,”_ the Pikachu said. _“I just need a chance. One chance to get my voice to him. If it works, great! If it doesn’t…can’t say I didn’t try my best.”_

The mouse held out a paw. It was an easy gesture to recognize. One that made Liam’s skin crawl. It was like when he first worked with Fuller and Clark, back when they realized how easy his ability made their jobs.

_“What do you say? Partners?”_

Liam wanted to say no…but he remembered how bad things got during the big R incident. And he lived here in Ryme City now. What if Velma got affected? He’d never forgive himself.

He bit his tongue and reached out to shake the offered paw. “Fine. But call me Liam. None of that partner stuff.”

_“Fine by me. You can call me Detective Pikachu, since we’re on the topic of names.”_

Velma gave a happy yip, leaping to set her paws on the connected hands. _“Vee vee!”_

.o.o.o.o.

“Is it safe for you to drink coffee?” Liam asked.

Detective Pikachu downed his third cup as they pulled up in front of the GNN building. _“Of course it’s fine. Harry never complained. Tim…kind of did but he got used to it. You will too.”_

Liam sighed, parking. He unbuckled Velma’s carrier. Detective Pikachu unbuckled himself and opened the door, hopping out of the car. Liam had to circle around to close the passenger door, though. They entered the station together.

“Welcome to GNN! How can we help you?” the receptionist asked. “Awwww! What cute Pokémon. I love the hat on your Pikachu.”

“Thanks,” Liam said.

 _“Ladies dig the hat,”_ Detective Pikachu said, smirking.

“We’re here to see Edward Nubie.”

“I’ll page him down for you. You can sit in the waiting room if you like,” the receptionist offered, gesturing toward a sitting area past her desk.

“Thank you.” Liam led them toward the chairs, taking a seat. He sighed, petting Velma through the door of her carrier. He could feel his anxiety spiking a bit.

 _“You okay, kid? You look jumpy,”_ Detective Pikachu noted.

“Not exactly a people person,” Liam admitted. “New people especially.”

 _“Ahhhh. One of those guys. I get that,”_ Detective Pikachu said, nodding his head. _“Just breathe. You’ll be fine. You’re just translating for me. I’m the one who needs to do the talking.”_

“Thanks. That helps a lot,” Liam said sarcastically.

_“You’re welcome.”_

The elevator dinged, doors sliding open. Out of it came a man with short black hair and glasses. Trotting beside him was an Oshawott. The tiny otter was babbling a mile a minute, waving and hopping about as they entered the lobby.

Liam got up. “Mr. Nubie?”

“Please, call me Edward. Or Ed. Or Nubie. Mr. Nubie makes me think of my father,” he said, holding out a hand. “And who do I owe the pleasure?”

“Liam, sir,” Liam replied, shaking his hand. “I wanted to ask a few things. Or, well, he did. I just have to translate.”

“Translate?” Nubie looked confused.

Liam indicated the Pikachu. “This guy wanted to ask you a few things, if that’s okay.”

“Oh my. This is new.” Nubie bent to better view the electric mouse. “How do you plan to translate, though?”

“I happen to be, uh…” Liam scratched his neck awkwardly. “The police’s Pokémon Whisperer.”

Nubie’s eyes were suddenly huge. “You are? Oh my goodness! I’ve heard so much about you.” Nubie shook his hand quickly, almost clinging. “This is truly an honor. Please do! I’m happy to help in any way that I can.”

 _“Hopefully this means he’ll cooperate,”_ Detective Pikachu said. _“Okay, repeat after me. I saw you being pursued and cornered by two men, one with a lot of Gastly and one with a Zangoose. What do they want with you?”_

“He saw you yesterday getting cornered by two men. One with a lot of Gastly and one with a Zangoose,” Liam translated.

“He must be mistaken,” Nubie said. “I left work and went straight home yesterday. But if he saw hooligans around the station, I’ll notify our security staff to watch out for them.”

 _“What? No. No, it was you! I saw it!”_ Detective Pikachu argued. _“I’m not blind! It was definitely you.”_

“He’s very sure it was you,” Liam said.

“I can assure you that I was home. I wouldn’t allow myself to be accosted by ruffians,” Nubie replied. “I thank you for your concern, of course, but I’m perfectly fine.”

 _“Those men cornered you. They chased you. Why are you lying?”_ Detective Pikachu demanded.

“Is he okay? He looks rather distressed,” Nubie noted. “I’m fine, little guy. It must’ve been someone else that they saw.”

 _“No! No no no! It was you!”_ Detective Pikachu yanked his ears, cheeks sparking with frustration. _“Why are you lying? What could you have to hide? Kid, tell him I’m on his side in whatever this is. I want to get rid of the R drug!”_

“Um…” Liam struggled to figure out how to phrase that. “Do you know anything about the R drug?”

Nubie froze up. Even his Oshawott finally fell quiet.

 _“He does!”_ Detective Pikachu cried. He darted forward, leaping onto Nubie’s leg. _“Listen, I’m on your side! I can help you! You just have to let me!”_

Nubie yelped, kicking out with his leg. Trying to shake off the mouse. Detective Pikachu held on tightly. Liam lurched forward to grab the Pikachu, only to get kicked in the face instead. He reared back, hands clapping over his bleeding nose.

_“Kid! Are you okay?”_

“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry!” Nubie cried. “I got scared! He just jumped at me. I thought he might attack me.”

_“Attack you? Why would I…?”_

“Let go of him, Pikachu,” Liam ordered.

Detective Pikachu loosened his grip, dropping on his bottom onto the floor. Nubie quickly stumbled backward, eyes glued on the mouse. His Oshawott scurried between them, scalchop removed and held at the ready.

“I’m sorry,” Liam said. “He’s really into helping people. He got carried away.”

“N-no, really, it’s fine. I overreacted,” Nubie said awkwardly. “Is your nose okay? Do I need to fetch a first aid kit?”

“A washcloth or something might be nice,” Liam said, pinching his nose shut. He doubted that it was broken.

Nubie quickly hurried to the front desk for tissues. The receptionist looked worried, eyeing the Pikachu warily. Thankfully she didn’t call security or the police. Nubie returned with a box of tissues. Liam took them, rolling them up to stuff up his nose.

“Are you okay?” Nubie asked, sitting beside him.

“I’m fine,” Liam replied, voice a bit nasally now. “I’m sorry about him.”

Nubie sighed, resting his head in his hands. “Actually…I should apologize.”

_“Hey! You can hear me, right? Bloody nose guy!”_

Liam jumped, looking around. It took him a moment to realize who was yelling.

Nubie’s Oshawott waved his scalchop. _“Yeah, down here! Me! You can actually hear me! I knew it! You are the guy! You gotta help me!”_

“Um…” Liam looked at Nubie. “Your Oshawott says he needs help from me.”

“Oh? Does he? What’s the matter?” Nubie asked, interested.

_“You gotta help me save Nubie from the pond monster!”_

_“Pond monster?”_ Detective Pikachu repeated, lost. _“What’s a pond monster and why is it after Nubie?”_

 _“It’s this huge snake monster that lives in the pond behind the station!”_ the Oshawott explained. _“It’s big and red and scary and has lots of teeth!”_

“He says that there’s a snake monster in the pond out back,” Liam said.

“A monster in the pond? But there are only Magikarp in there,” Nubie said, surprised. He got to his feet. “But if Danny says that he saw something, I’m willing to investigate. If something is in our pond that might hurt someone, it’s our duty to identify it and have it removed. He said a snake?”

Liam nodded, getting to his feet. “How big is this pond?”

“Not very big, fifteen feet deep at most and about twenty-five, maybe thirty, feet wide,” Nubie explained, leading Liam out of the waiting area and into a series of winding hallways. “We installed the pond to add more scenery and some natural beauty. Ryme City has so much concrete and metal in it. I was always more of a forest boy myself.”

“Then why live in the city?” Liam asked.

“Not many jobs to be had in the forest unless you have a Pokémon license and the survival expertise to make it out there. Not all Pokémon are as kind and cute as my Danny is,” Nubie said, pushing open a door to the grassy area behind the station. “I love the forest, but I’m not dumb enough to seriously believe that I could survive out there.”

The pond wasn’t that big, roughly what Nubie guessed at. Liam could see Magikarp popping up at the surface, mouths sucking in water and algae clumps. What he couldn’t see was a snake monster.

 _“Right here, in the water!”_ Danny declared, pointing frantically at the pond.

 _“Kid, I don’t see anything,”_ Detective Pikachu said.

“I don’t see anything either. Surely a snake would have to leave. I don’t see any crushed grass, especially if it’s as big as your Oshawott is claiming,” Liam said, eyes scanning the pond’s edge. “Either this thing is good at hiding, or it isn’t a snake at all.”

“Do you think it’s a fish that looks like a snake?” Nubie asked, walking the perimeter of the pond. “Surely the Magikarp would panic or something. They’re acting like they normally do.”

 _“Hey, Magikarp! Is there anyone else living in your pond with you?”_ Detective Pikachu called.

The water suddenly began to bubble and froth. Danny shrieked, diving behind Liam’s shoes. Detective Pikachu stumbled back, nearly tripping over Liam’s foot. Nubie scrambled away from the pond as a massive red serpent emerged from the pond’s center.

“A Gyarados?” Liam asked, shocked. “That’s a…shiny.”

 _“I’m here,”_ she said, whiskers twitching. _“Go ahead. Scream now. You all do.”_

 _“Scream? Why would we scream?”_ Detective Pikachu asked.

 _“You people always scream. ‘Monster’, you cry. I just want some help,”_ the red Gyarados said sadly.

“How is a Gyarados in the pond? How long have they been there?” Nubie yelped.

“We won’t scream. How did you get in there? It can’t be comfortable for you,” Liam said, stomping on his own panic.

 _“It isn’t, not at all,”_ she agreed. _“I was brought in with my family as a Magikarp.”_

“So you evolved at some point,” Liam guessed.

 _“Only a few nights ago. Men wearing black were throwing nets, trying to catch my friends and family,”_ the red Gyarados explained. _“I was filled with so much anger. I screamed…and then I was huge. The men, they ran away when they saw me. I haven’t seen them since.”_

“Thieves, perhaps,” Liam said.

“What’s going on?” Nubie asked.

“Apparently you had thieves a few nights ago. They wanted the Magikarp from your pond and were trying to net them. She evolved and chased them off,” Liam explained.

 _“Probably guys from the underground fight rings,”_ Detective Pikachu guessed. _“Gyarados are popular down there.”_

“Thieves? My Arceus,” Nubie muttered. He looked up at the Gyarados. “You poor thing. This pond is way too small for someone your size. We’ll have to deepen it. I know a few contractors that might do that.”

“You don’t want to relocate her?” Liam asked, surprised.

“Relocate her? No!” Nubie said. “These Magikarp are probably her family. It would be cruel to remove her just because she evolved and they didn’t. It’s not her fault. There’s no reason that we can’t try to deepen the pond to accommodate her. Plus she’s a shiny. She’ll be hunted viciously just for her rare color.”

Liam stared, surprised. Removal wasn’t uncommon in situations like these. Most people didn’t want to deal with larger Pokémon, especially ones that held destructive capabilities, in close proximity to them. If anything, because the Gyarados was shiny and Nubie was a businessman, Liam almost expected the man to want to sell her for mass amounts of cash.

“Hold on, I can make a few calls right now,” Nubie said, digging out his cell phone. “Maybe we can even get started tomorrow. The sooner, the better. You poor thing. I’m so sorry we didn’t notice earlier.”

The Gyarados blinked, seemingly just as surprised. Then she smiled. _“What a kind man. Those are rare. Please tell him that I said thank you.”_

“She says thank you. She appreciates the help,” Liam said.

Detective Pikachu tugged Danny out by the tail. _“And I think you owe someone an apology. Monster, my tail!”_

 _“She looks scary!”_ Danny declared. But he did shuffle forward awkwardly. _“Um… Hi? I’m sorry for calling you a monster.”_

 _“It’s okay,”_ the Gyarados said, lowering her head to be level with the Oshawott. _“I’m rather scared of myself too. I’m so big now. I’ve heard so many horror stories of evolved Magikarp. I don’t want to be like those stories.”_

 _“You’re the one that decides what you’re like,”_ Detective Pikachu said. _“Personally, you’re the nicest Gyarados that I’ve ever met. Granted, you’re also the second one that I’ve ever met, but the point is still there.”_

 _“Thank you,”_ she said, smile growing.

By then, several other GNN employees had come outside to see the shiny Gyarados. Several pictures were snapped and one reporter even had their camera going for a quick news story.

“That will make headlines,” Liam predicted.

“It probably will,” Nubie agreed, tucking his phone away. “I’ve got a pair of contractors coming in the morning to map out expansions. I don’t think anyone will complain. She deserves a bigger pond for protecting her brethren like that. A fence might not be a bad idea either.”

Nubie grabbed Liam by the arm, steering him away from the gathering crowd. Detective Pikachu quickly followed, leaving Danny behind with the Gyarados. They turned the corner, stopping at the alley to the station’s left.

“I never got to finish talking to you back there in the waiting room,” Nubie said. “I… Your Pikachu was right. I was attacked by two men. I’ve been harassed a lot lately by this group of hooligans.”

 _“I knew it! Kid, tell him that I’m on his side! We can help,”_ Detective Pikachu said, pumping his arm triumphantly.

“We can help, if you’ll let us,” Liam offered. “My Pikachu was attacked by those men too. See the bandages? That Zangoose and those Gastly did this.”

“That Zangoose has gone after me too,” Nubie admitted, rolling up his sleeve to reveal bandages. “You mentioned the R drug. How do you know about that?”

“It’ll sound unbelievable but…” Liam looked at his partner. “This Pikachu belonged to Harry and Tim Goodman. The guys who discovered and brought down the Cliffords, who manufactured the drug.”

Nubie stared. “This is the same one? No way. It’s been a decade or so…”

 _“I know. I lived it,”_ Detective Pikachu said.

Nubie nodded, wiping his brow. “I don’t have much, if you were hoping for answers. I don’t know who these men are that are stalking me, but I do know this for certain. The R drug is absolutely still in circulation underground.”


End file.
